So I went to Utah this past week for my brother’s
wedding, and I took a train. Now, except
for the fact that a plane would have gotten me there in just over an hour while
the train took 15, I enjoyed the trip far more than I ever had with flying.
First off are the seats. The last couple times I’ve flown, I’ve felt
as cramped as a sardine in a tin can. I
always plan on taking a nap but forget it.
The seats were so close together even in first-class, and when I was in
coach, the engine was so loud I couldn’t hear myself think, This sucks. On the train, though, the seats are so far
apart that you can recline, pull up a footrest, and the only sound is that of
the wheels going over the tracks. And
from my second floor seat, that wasn’t loud at all had a rather hypnotic
effect. I slept over half the ride.
That, and you can get up and move around whenever
you want to stretch your legs, visit the lounge car, or get a bite to eat.
Oh, that’s the other thing. You can bring as much food as you want on the
train. The folks sitting in front of me
were coming home from working on a farm and another had made a major grocery
run before getting aboard. There was
constant trading of food, from bagels to wheat berries, and it just fascinated
me. I felt under-prepared, for I’d only
brought snacks. But then, I’d planned on
just paying for at least one meal on the train.
The prices were exorbitant, especially for this poor
student. I’d hoped to do a sit-down
dinner, but the cheapest dish was $16.50 and I can’t justify a single meal for
that much at this point in my life. So I
went to the snack bar and got a burger and chips. The price for those might have seemed outrageous,
but frankly, it wasn’t any worse than what I’ve paid for food at a carnival or
state fair.
On a personal level, though, there’s a certain magic
about trains and I fell under its charm.
I loved trains when I was a kid, and one of my favorite memories is the
one train ride I took with my grandma when I was five. Being on the train was simply invigorating
because of the personal connection and this may probably only work its way in
me. And that’s okay since I’m the one
that bought the ticket. I got exactly
what I wanted.
***
The wedding went well. The ceremony was performed in the Mt. Timpanogos
temple, which really excited me. I went
to that temple once when I was 10; it was the first time I ever went inside a
temple and that only because it hadn’t been dedicated yet. Before dedication, temples have open houses
where anybody in the world can take a tour through the temples, see all the
rooms, and listen to some explanations about the work and worship that’s
performed there. After dedication, the
work begins and only members with temple recommends are allowed in for the
ceremonies performed there.
It’s been over 17 years since I’ve been to the Mt.
Timpanogos temple and I was really pleased with the experience. As architecture goes, this is one of my
favorite designs. It feels like a
palace, and the exterior designs are simple but gorgeous. I especially loved the moon stones placed
around the walls. Each moon stone is
etched to show the moon at its different phases: full moon, half-moon, gibbous,
etc. It was fun to look at.
Can’t say much for the grounds, but it’s snowing in
Utah right now so all the flowers are dead.
I imagine that come when spring arrives, the place will look gorgeous.
Temple weddings are typically quiet affairs. Very few get to see the actual ceremony take
place, partly because the sealing rooms aren’t that big so seating is limited
(if you try to fit too many in, you’re in danger of breaking fire code, and
nobody wants that.) The other reason is
also that not every Latter-day Saint has a temple recommend, so even many
family members never get to see the wedding ceremony take place. I didn’t get my temple recommend until the
week before I turned 22. I don’t recall
seeing a marriage ceremony of any sort until around that time of life.
Being in the temple’s sealing room is quite an
experience. There’s an altar in the
middle of the room, and the couple sit on either side facing each other. There are two mirrors on opposite walls
facing each other. This creates an
interesting effect where the images are reflected forever. The couple can look into the mirrors and see
infinite images of themselves kneeling at the altar while the temple sealer
(the man performing the ceremony) pronounces the marriage covenant. There’s a lot of symbology behind this, but
one that I particularly like is that it represents that starting from that day on, they will be together for all eternity.
The ceremony itself is short. Most of the time taken up is from the sealer
giving advice and a sermon before performing the ceremony. I don’t think we were in the room for more
than 20 minutes. After that, it was
outside for another half-hour of wedding pictures. Given that I am unused to the snow and every
photo was outside, I couldn’t help but feel this took too long.
But I’m also a grouch.
***
I may not have been to many weddings in my life, but
I have been to a lot of wedding receptions.
This is where the party happens and where the brides invest the most
planning. Flower arrangements, wedding
colors, the music, the dancing, more photo shoots, presents, cutting the wedding
cake, tossing the bouquet, decorating the honeymooners car (they don’t plan
that, but we all know it’s going to happen), table decorations, and the food.
Guess which part I’m most interested in.
My brother’s reception was rather nice. They held it in a sort of third-story
ballroom, and it was prepared beautifully.
It felt classy.
As for the food, my sister-in-law decided on doing
just desserts, which was fine. I didn’t
plan ahead very well; I didn’t eat dinner until after I got home from the reception,
at which point I discovered I couldn’t eat very much because I’d put in two
much sugary goodness in my stomach. I
had to wait until breakfast the next day before I felt somewhat healthier.
And that’s been some of the highlights of my
week. Otherwise, Christmas is
coming! Merry Christmas everyone! Hope it’s a good one! Eat lots of food! Enjoy your families! I’ve never put in so many exclamation points
in a single paragraph before!
No comments:
Post a Comment